PHYSICS

INVESTIGATOR
Y PROJECT

Submited by: Anushka Sharma

Class : XII – I
Session: 2023-24

Under guidance of
Mr. Kapil Tyagi

Dept. of Physics
Delhi Public School, Greater Noida
Sector - Gamma II, Greater Noida Dist - Gautam Buddh Nagar, U.P., 201310
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that
ANUSHKA SHARMA
(Class XII - I) (DPS Greater Noida)
Academic Session:2023-24

has properly prepared her Physics Project on the topic:

To investigate the dependence, of the angle of deviation on the angle of incidence, using a hallow prism filled, one by one, with different transparent fluids

which was carried under the guidance and supervision of:

Mr. Kapil Tyagi
(Physics Department)

Sign of the teacher Sign of the examiner

ACKNOWLEDGEM
ENT
I wish to express my deep gratitude and sincere. Thanks
to the Principal, Ms. Sandhya Awasthi, Delhi Public
School, Greater Noida, for her encouragement, and for
all the facilities that she provided for this project work.

I extend my hearty thanks to Mr Kapil Tyagi, Physics

Department, Who guided me to the successful
completion of this project. I take this opportunity to
express my deep sense of gratitude for his invaluable
guidance and constant encouragement, constructive
comments and immense motivation which has sustained
my efforts at all stages of this project work.

I can’t forget to offer my sincere thanks to my classmates

who helps me to carry out this project work successful
only and for the valuable advice and support which I
received from them time to time.
SR.NO. TOPIC

1. Introduction

2. Experimental Setup
3. Theory
4. Angle of minimum deviation
5. Procedure
6. Observation
7. Precaution

8. Source of error
9. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Introduction
In optics, a prism is a transparent optical element
with flat, polished surfaces that refracts light. The
exact angles between the surfaces depend on the
application. The traditional geometrical shape is that
of a triangular prism with a triangular base and
rectangular sides, and in colloquial use “prism”
usually refers to this type. Some types of optical
prism are not in fact in the shape of geometric
prisms. Prisms can be made from any material that is
transparent to the wavelengths for which they are
designed. Typical materials include glass, plastic and
fluorite. Prism can be used to break light up into its
constituent spectral colors (the colors of the
rainbow). Prisms can also be used to reflect light, or
to split light into components with different
polarizations.

Before Isaac Newton, it was believed that white light

was colorless, and that the prism itself produced the
color. Newton’s experiments demonstrated that all
the colors already existed in the light in a
heterogeneous fashion, and that “corpuscles”
(particles) of light were fanned out .
 because particles with different colors traveled with
different speeds through the prism. It was only later that
Young and Fresnel combined Newton’s particle theory
with Huygens’ wave theory to show that color is the
visible manifestation of light’s wavelength. Newton
arrived at his conclusion by passing the red color from
one prism through second prism and found the color
unchanged. From this, he concluded that the colors must
already be present in the incoming light and white light
consists of a collection of colors. As the white light passes
through the triangular prism, the light separates into the
collection of colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo and violet. This collection of colors formed by the
prism is called the spectrum. The separation of white light
into its spectrum is known as dispersion.

Dispersion occurs because each color travels through the

prism at different speeds. Violet travels the slowest
through the prism; hence we can see it refracting the
most. On the other hand, red passes through at a much
fast rate which makes its angle of refraction less, hence
red is too scarce to be seen.
 Experimental setup

AIM: To investigate the dependence, of the angle of deviation

on the angle of incidence, using a hallow prism filled, one by
one, with different transparent fluids.

APPARATUS:
 Drawing board
 White sheets of paper
 Hollow prism
 different liquids (water, kerosene oil, etc)
 Drawing pins
 pencil
 Half meter scale
 Thump pins
 graph papers
 protractor.
 THEORY: Refraction of
Light through a Prism
Diagram shows section ABC of a prism taken by a vertical plane,
perpendicular to the edge. BC is the base of the prism and AB and AC are its
two refracting surfaces.

 RQ is the incident ray.

 QS is the refracted ray
 ST is the emergent ray.
 RQN1 = i = angle of incidence
 SQN3 = r1 = angle of refraction inside prism
 QSN3 = r2 = angle of incidence inside prism
 TSN2 = e = angle of emergence
 BAC = A = angle of prism
 SFK = D = angle of deviation
 In QFS, KFS = FQS + FSQ
•D = i + e – (r1 + r2) … (1)
•In QS1N3, r1 + r2 + QN3S = 180⁰ … (2)
•The quadrilateral AQN3S is cyclic
quadrilateral,
•then A + QN3S = 180 … (3)
•From (2) and (3)
•A = r1 + r2 … (4)
• Eq. (1) become,
•D=i+e-A
•D + A = i + e
 Angle of Minimum
Deviation

Definition: The minimum value of angle of deviation is

called angle of minimum deviation. It is represented by the
symbol (Dm).

Explanation: For same angle of deviation (D) there are two

values of angle of incidence. One value equals ‘i’ and other
value equals ‘e’.

As angle ‘i’ is increased from a small value, ‘e’ decreases

from large value and angle of deviation decreases. When
angle of deviation is minimum (Dm), then, ‘i’ and ‘e’
becomes equal
The refracted ray QS goes parallel to base BC. Since i = e, we
have r1 = r2.
( ∵n= sin i sin r1 = sin e sinr 2 )

Hence, at minimum deviation, when r1 = r2 = r (say).

We have A = r1 + r2 = r + r = 2r or r = A /2
Also, at minimum deviation, D = Dm and i = e
From relation, A + D = i + e
We have, A + Dm = i + i = 2i ⇒ i = A+ Dm /2

From Snell’s law, n = sin i /sin r

We have n = sin( A + Dm/ )/2 sin( A/ 2)
This relation is useful for determination of n for
Prism material.
 PROCEDUR
E
1.A white sheet of paper was fixed on the drawing
board with the help of drawing pins.
2.A straight line XX’ parallel to the length of the paper
was drawn nearly in the middle of the paper.
3.Points Q1,Q2,Q3….. were marked on the straight line
XX’ at suitable distances of about 6cm.
4.Normal’s N1Q1,N2Q2,N3Q3 and N4Q4 were drawn on
points Q1,Q2,Q3 and Q4 as shown in diagram.
5. Straight lines R1Q1,R2Q2,R3Q3 …..were drawn
making angles of 40⁰,45⁰,50⁰ and 55⁰ respectively with
the normals.
6.One corner of the prism was marked as A and it was
taken as the edge of the prism for all the observations.
7.Prism with its refracting face AB was put in the line XX’
and point Q1 was put in the middle of AB.
8.The boundary of the prism was marked.
9.Two pins P1 and P2 were fixed vertically on the line
R1Q1 and the distance between the pins were about
2cm.
10. The images of points P1 and P2 were looked through
face AC.
11. Left eye was closed and right eye was opened and
was brought in line with the two images.
12. Two pins P3 and P4 were fixed vertically at about
2cm apart such that the open right eye sees pins P4 and
P3 as images of P2 and P1 in one straight line.
13. Pins P1,P2,P3 and P4 were removed and their pricks
on the paper were encircled.
14. Steps 7 to 13 were again repeated with points Q2,Q3
and Q4 for i=45⁰,50⁰ and 55⁰.

To measure D in different cases

15. Straight lines through points P4 and P3 were drawn
to obtain emergent rays S1T1, S2T2, S3T3 and S4T4
16. T1S1,T2S2 ,T3S3 and T4S4 were produced inward in
the boundary of the prism to meet produced incident
rays R1Q1, R2Q2,R3Q3 and R4Q4 at points F1,F2,F3 and
F4.
17. Angles K1F1S1,K2F2S2,K3F3S3 and K4F4S4 were
measured. These angles give angle of deviation D1,
D2,D3 and D4.

To measure A
18. Values of these angles were written on the paper.
19. Angle BAC was measured in the boundary of the
prism. This gives angle A.
Observations:
 RESULTS:
The angle of minimum
deviation for :

Water Dm = 23⁰C
Kerosene oil Dm = 33⁰C
Turpentine oil Dm = 32⁰C
The refractive indices of the-
Water n = 1.32
Kerosene oil n = 1.46
Turpentine oil n = 1.44
Speed of light in-
Water v = 2.3x108 m/s
Kerosene oil v = 2.05x108 m/s
Turpentine oil v = 2.08x108 m/s
 PRECAUTIONS:
 The angle of incidence should lie between 35⁰ –
60⁰.
 The pins should be fixed vertical.
 The distance between the two pins should not be
less than 10mm. Arrow heads should be marked
to represent the incident and emergent rays
 The same angle of prism should be used for all the
observations.

SOURCES OF ERRORS:

 Pin pricks may be thick.

 Measurement of angles may be wrong.
BIBLIOGRAP
HY
Comprehensive: Practical Physics Class XII

NCERT textbook of class XII

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